Friday, 27 January 2017

I have a feeling that most of us, whether we actually made it one of our New Year's resolutions or not, will have vowed to get a little bit fitter this year or to eat slightly better and after consuming more food than humanly possible over the festive period, I'm definitely one of those people. But as someone with a real fear of the gym (the last two times I went, I fainted), I've been looking at making a few realistic changes to what I already do everyday. So instead of taking a lift up a couple of flights, I take the stairs. I've gotten off the bus or Subway a couple of stops earlier than I normally would and have been making a real effort to reach at least, or as close to, 10.000 steps a day as I can. I even walked nearly 16,000 one day!

I had been relying on using my iPhone to track such activity but as I don't always have my phone on me this doesn't quite accurately reflect what I'm doing on a daily basis, so I'd been looking into investing in an activity tracker to do just that. You might even remember that I had a Fitbit on my US wishlist but I ended up buying a Kate Spade bag instead, so that didn't happen.

Just when I was doing a little research into which one to go for, Fenetic Wellbeing got in touch to ask if I'd like to get involved in their #FeneticFitness campaign and if I'd like to receive a MISFIT Shine 2 Activity Tracker* to help me track my fitness levels and sleep quality. It really was perfect timing! And the fact that it's rose gold didn't hurt either, of course.

For those of us who find it more difficult to exercise, either because of low levels of fitness (this is basically me) or because of health issues, Fenetic Wellbeing have lots of options to ease you into exercising. They even do electric bikes which work to give you a helping hand and make exercise a reality for those who think it might be too big a leap for them.

If like me, you've been looking to invest in an activity tracker, you'll be happy to know that today I'm giving one away. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this rose gold MISFIT Shine 2 Activity Tracker is to fill out the Rafflecopter form below;

a Rafflecopter giveawayAnd here are the rules:This giveaway is UK only (I'm hoping to do more international giveaways as the year progresses).There will be one winner.The giveaway will run until Friday 10th of February at midnight.The winner will be picked at random by Rafflecopter. The winner will then have 48 hours to send me over their details or I will pick another winner. The prize will then be sent by Fenetic Wellbeing.

Best of luck!

Do you use an activity tracker? If so, how do you find it? Do you have any tips for getting back into fitness and exercising? And how are you getting on with your New Year's resolutions so far?

First up we have one of the most exciting products that I've ever seen in a beauty box; the Too Faced Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer. To even receive a Too Faced product in a beauty box to begin with is a pretty big deal but to receive one as absolutely stunning as this one is another thing. It's even named after one of my favourite fictional couples of all-time; Carrie and Big, even if Aidan was and still is my dream man. I mean, where can I find me one of them? Back to the Blushing Bronzer itself, I really love the fact that you can use the two shades separately or combined to create such a beautiful flush of colour on the cheek. This is also worth £28 alone, which is only a few pounds cheaper than the price of the Deluxe box itself.

Next we have another product/brand that I certainly didn't expect to see in a beauty box; the Lorac Pro Powder Cheek Stain. This is one of those cult beauty brands that sadly, we can't get our hands on too easily here in the UK, which makes this even more of an impressive product to find in this month's Deluxe box. The shade is absolutely beautiful and even though you technically receive a blush with the Too Faced product, this one is the perfect pop of pink instead of a peachy coral, like the one shown above. It also feels really lovely on the skin and doesn't cling to any imperfections on the skin or pores. It's also worth £21 alone, making the box well worth it's £35 price tag. The last of the makeup items, we have Clinique's Lash Power Feathering Mascara, which ordinarily retails at £18.99. If you have sensitive eyes or aren't a fan of rubbing and rubbing at your mascara to get it off at the end of the day, this is the one for you. It can actually be removed with warm water alone but is still waterproof and smudgeproof, making it a real winner for me.

And finally we have two skincare products; the Eucerin Even Brighter Concentrate and the Bee Good Honey & Wild Water Mint Cleansing Water. Having tried Eucerin in the past and having been pleasantly surprised by the results, I have a feeling that this pigment reducing concentrate will be one of those products worth trying but as it's only a trial size and it reportedly takes 6 weeks of use to properly see the results, I'm not too sure that you'll get to do that from this one vial. However, it is a good way to try out the product before investing in the larger size(s). I've also tried Bee Good before and liked what I tried. This cleansing water is really gentle yet still removes any makeup and impurities in a couple of swipes.It's safe to say that this is another big hit from Look Incredible! I was a little worried that it wouldn't be able to live up to my expectations but it sure did.

What do you think of the contents of this beauty box? Have you tried any of the products featured in today's post? If so, what are your thoughts on them? And which beauty box, out of the many of the market, looks like/is your favourite?

Sunday, 15 January 2017

During my travels last year I quickly realised that I'd been missing out when it came to one kind of accessory; the backpack. For as long as I can remember, even when I was back at school, I would always opt for cross body bags, however, toting around everything I needed with me on my back made such a big difference, especially when I was at the theme parks, malls and airports. As much as I love my palm print backpack from Zara, it doesn't quite compliment my ensembles here in the UK as much as it did my floaty dresses and jumpsuits in Florida. So I've been on the hunt for a classic yet practical backpack ever since and that's exactly where Knomo London came to the rescue.

If you're not familiar with Knomo London, they make the most beautiful and practical bags. Basically if you're looking for a reliable bag that'll keep you organised, either for work or for travel, then Knomo London is where it's at! They have so many brilliant styles of bags, from clutch bags and totes, to briefcases and backpacks, for both women and for men. And as someone who likes to know exactly where everything is in her bag, I couldn't have picked a better backpack than this one!

This is the Mini Mount small leather backpack* and it just makes for the most perfect companion, no matter what I'm up to that particular day or night. It being leather and the softest, buttery leather at that, means that I don't need to worry about it getting ruined in the frequent and sudden rain that we get here in the UK and it also looks so chic and goes with absolutely every one of my outfits. It also comes with a really useful RFID signal blocker lining. This means that your contactless cards and passport can't be scanned through it, something that is especially necessary in a big city or when travelling and I can imagine as the technology progresses.

Is it sad that I'm already looking forward to packing this for my trip to New York later in the year? I mean, it literally has a dedicated space for everything that I'll need when travelling (my passport, tickets, cards, earphones, cash and phone). You'd also easily fit a tablet and portable phone charger in it as well. I'm actually thinking of investing in the latter; a portable phone charger. Does anyone have any recommendations when it comes to these?

It looks like I've finally found the ideal everyday backpack for me!

What do you think of the Knomo London Mini Mount Backpack? Had you heard of Knomo London before? And do you also like to keep your bag organised? Or is yours full of old receipts, reusable shopping bags and loose change?

Sunday, 8 January 2017

Following on from the success of last year's limited edition Natural Beauty Instant Look In A Palette, Charlotte Tilbury brings us the brand new Seductive Beauty Instant Look In A Palette, as well as bringing back the original Natural Beauty option.

Having missed out on the original Natural Beauty palette last year, as soon as I heard that Charlotte would be bringing out a new take on the Instant Look In A Palette, I knew that this time, it had to be mine.

Comprising of seven stunning products, the Seductive Beauty Instant Look In A Palette has everything you could ever possibly want from a makeup palette. There are the three eye shades; eye brighten, eye enhance and eye smoke, all of which work together beautifully to create the dreamiest of smoky eyes. Then you'll find your four face products. There's Charlotte's iconic Filmstar Bronze and Glow, which are easily my favourite contour/highlight products on the market and two blushers; a swish and a pop.

Charlotte takes all of the guesswork out of which shade will work with which and I now finally, after many years, have a go-to makeup look that I know will work no matter what I'm up to that day or night. It certainly makes doing my makeup in the morning that much easier and it's also a great way to try out the Charlotte Tilbury range without having to spend too much to do so.

I absolutely adore the fact that Charlotte has condensed some of her bestselling products into one perfectly curated collection or collections, if you also count the Natural Beauty option. The palette is also the ideal size to take with you on the go and will definitely be coming with me on my travels later in the year. Talk about quick and easy makeup application! Speaking of that, Charlotte has also released her new Quick 'N' Easy kits, of which I'll be reviewing the Natural Glowing Look in a few weeks time.

What do you think of the Seductive Beauty Instant Look In A Palette? Are you a fan of all things Charlotte Tilbury? If so, which product is your favourite? And would this be the perfect palette for you too?

Friday, 6 January 2017

As someone who suffers from frequent bouts of ill health, mostly due to my IBS flaring up, I decided to put together a hamper of bits and pieces to help me feel better on such occasions. If, like me, you're prone to spending a lot of time in bed or even have the odd day when you're just not quite feeling yourself, then this blog post could well come in handy.

First up we've got my cuddly elephant. This hottie, which I bought from New Looklast Christmas, doubles up as a hot water bottle of sorts (it's actually one of those microwaveable bean bags so there's no risk of it leaking) and a soft toy for me to give a hug when I'm feeling particularly rubbish. It's also lavender scented which is another big bonus and instantly calms me down. I'm seriously tempted to buy this little pug version next.

If you're someone who suffers from crippling headaches or migraines or if you simply want to try and get a little bit of shut-eye during the day, an eye mask is an absolute essential. This one from Soap & Glory is silky soft on your eyes and also comes with the added bonus of containing a gel eye mask, one that can be chilled in the fridge, that you can then add or remove depending on how you're feeling.

It's sometimes nice to have a bit of background noise on when I'm not feeling too great and a good box set, one that you've already seen a couple/a hundred times, always works quite nicely as you don't have to concentrate too much to follow the episode or season. I basically have Sex and the City playing on a constant loop in my house. DVDs also work well to simultaneously cheer you up and give you a bit of comfort.

When I do start to feel a little bit better, instead of hopping straight back onto my laptop, I always find that it's better to take a bit of a break and leave the laptop shut. Flicking through a magazine, jotting down some ideas for future blog posts, doing a spot of colouring in or reading a book all work well at keeping you occupied without reaching for a screen.

And lastly we have a bottle of water. Staying hydrated is obviously very important, regardless of what illness or ailment you have, so I always make sure to have a bottle of water nearby.

Thanks to Buscopan for inspiring today's blog post. Here's a little more about Buscopan just in case you also get abdominal cramps caused by IBS:Buscopan IBS Relief works differently to painkillers as it has an antispasmodic action that specifically targets the root cause of abdominal pain to quickly help the muscle of the bowel return to normal. It starts to work within 15 minutes, acting directly on the muscle spasm in the bowel to quickly and effectively relieve the painful cramps and discomfort of IBS. Buscopan IBS Relief is gentle on the stomach and can be used at the first sign of flare-up as needed. Buscopan IBS Relief is priced at £4.99 for 20 tablets and £8.34 for 40 tablets. Buscopan IBS Relief contains hyoscine butylbromide. For medically confirmed IBS. Always read the label.

This blog post is in no way sponsored by Buscopan but I was happy to include this blurb as Buscopan is something well worth trying if advised by your doctor, like I have been before.

What makes you feel better when you're not feeling well? Does a 'feel better' hamper sound like a good idea to you? If so, what would be in yours? And would you like to see more blog posts where I talk about my daily struggles with IBS?

Ellis Tuesday is a beauty, fashion & lifestyle blog brought to you by Ellis, a self confessed shopaholic from Scotland with an overwhelming stash of beauty products and a love for all things leopard print.